Parking in Steveston

When I asked my dear friend Dvora how I could improve this blog, she told me she wanted to know where to park in Steveston.

I could have told her to unfold a map and just eyeball those circled "P"s. But she deserved better than that.

So, I put my visitor's cap on and headed out the door. My mission: to assess the parking situation with fresh eyes. How easy is it to find a spot without a good grasp of the lay of the land.

It turned out that parking rules in Steveston are simple:

1)First of all, parking is free, so you can leave your change at home.

(2)Secondly, although free, parking on the street and in some pubic lots, is limited to two hours (between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM for street parking)



(3)Lastly, if you wish to linger over your cup of latte, you should park in Lot 1 - a gravel lot with enough pot holes to jar every bone in your body. But, consider it a small price to pay for the luxury of meandering through the village unhampered by fear of finding a parking ticket flapping under your wiper.

There are blue signs aplenty to point you to the above lots. In some ways, though, they can lead drivers astray as much as they can guide them to their intended destinations.

For example, this one seems to suggest that Lot 1 is located in front of the G & F Financial Group building. Not so.



This one suggests that Lots 3, 4, 5 are situated at the end of Third Avenue. Actually, it's more like head down the avenue, veer to the left, and keep right on going until you see more blue signs.



To help visitors get their bearing, here are satellite as well as street views of these lots. When viewing the satellite photos, the top of your screen represents north.

Lot 1 satellite view


Lot 1 street view


Lot 3 satellite view


Lot 3 street view


Lots 4 and 5 satellite view


Lot 4 street view


Lot 5 street view


I don't have a clue where Lot 2 is or if it even exists.

Unless specifically prohibited, you are permitted to park in lanes and alleys, as long as you don't obstruct traffic.

If you are not averse to a short walk, you can leave your car at the Steveston Public Library (corner of Moncton Street and No.1 Road). The two hour limit is applicable between 8:00 AM and 11:00 PM, Monday through Friday, but they are pretty laid back about it.

Even further off the main drag is Garry Point Park at the corner of Chatham Street and Seventh Avenue. It provides ample parking, from dawn till dusk, as well as amenities such as picnic tables, benches, washrooms, and a water fountain. The concession stand opens in fair weather and offers Pajo's fish and chips and Timothy's frozen yogurt - two local favourites.



On busy summer weekends, with zero availability in the village, parking tends to spill over to the residential areas. By and large, Stevestonites are pretty accommodating. There are, however, signs that you need to be wary. Here are a few of them:



These signs send an unequivocal message – “no parking” – no ands, ifs, or buts.

I guess that just about wraps it up for now. If you have other parking tips, I can pass them along to my friend Dvora.

No, she doesn’t drive a Hummer and yes, she is a great parallel parker!